Geothermal Outlook 2015:
International Market Ripe with
Opportunity as US Market Withers

Money is fowinginto the developinggeothermal markets, butthe U.S. market is stillstruggling with politicaland fnancial barriers.

MEG CICHON, Associate Editor

While it is diffcult to discuss
the geothermal industry in
just one-year increments,
it seems as though 2015 is
set to have some notable
developments.

In 2014, the global market didn’t quite hit 1,000 megawatts
(MW) of new capacity as predicted a year prior, but it did ring
in a respectable 600 MW, a number that should hold steady or
rise for the next three to four years, according to Ben Matek,
analyst at the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA).

A 2014 prediction that did live up to expectations was the
sluggish U.S. market — it only represented a mere three to
four megawatts of capacity last year, and Matek doesn’t see
an uptick any time soon without some serious policy changes. In stark contrast, several international markets are really
starting to pick up speed, most notably in East Africa, Turkey, Central America and the Asia-Pacifc.

“In short,” said GEA Executive Director Karl Gawell, “thegeothermal industry is relying on the global market for theyears immediately ahead, and the U.S. market will reboundas policy straightens out.”